Package for garments

ABSTRACT

A package for garments is formed essentially of two sheets of pliant material which are rolled into a tube so as to fit within a sleeve having a handle for carrying the package. In order to assemble the package, each of the sheets has attached thereto means adapted to be grasped, all of which lie substantially in the same plane as that of the sheet to which it is attached. In this way the package is very compact after assembly and the materials for making the package are very compact prior to assembly. The apparatus for assembling the package coacts with the means adapted to be grasped in such a way that the sheets of pliant material are readily rolled into tubular form with the garment therebetween, thus permitting rapid packaging of garments for use in retail stores or in wholesale stores, for use in transportation of such garments and for related uses.

United States Patent [72] Inventor David-Alan Richter 136 Adams St., Lexington, Mass. 02173 [21 Appl. No. 877,800

[22] Filed Nov. 18, 1969 [45 Patented Nov. 23, 1971 [54] PACKAGE FOR GARMENTS I Clahlflnwing Figs- 52 US. Cl 206/46 AP, 7

190/41 R, 223/85 {51 Int. Cl. 865d 85/18 [50] FieldofSearch 206/7 C, 7 H,7B,7R, 46 AP; 190/41 12,41 X; 223/85 [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,502,033 3/ 1950 Bohn 206/7 2,561,! 12 7/1951 Hahnm. 206/46 AP 3,00 7 63 1 1/1961 Rosen.... 206/7 H Primary E.\'aminerWilliam T. Dixson, Jr. Att0rney-Russell & Nields ABSTRACT: A package for garments is formed essentially of two sheets of pliant material which are rolled into a tube so as to fit within a sleeve having a handle for carrying the package. In order to assemble the package. each of the sheets has attached thereto means adapted to be grasped all of which lie substantially in the same plane as that of the sheet to which it is attached. in this way the package is very compact after assembly and the materials for making the package are very compact prior to assembly. The apparatus for assembling the package coacts with the means adapted to be grasped in such a way that the sheets of pliant material are readily rolled into tubular form with the garment therebetween, thus permitting rapid packaging of garments for use in retail stores or in wholesale stores, for use in transportation of such garments and for related uses.

PATENTEUHUV 23 I97! 3,621,991

FIG.\

I2 FIG. 7 FIG. 8

INVENTOR DAVID ALAN RICHTER (Luv Q Anni? ATTORNEYS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION packages for suits and dresses and in the prior art, packages of this nature have. generally consisted of rectangular'boxes; the dress or suit is folded and inserted in the box usually with some sort of packing material such as tissue paper and'the box is then ready for transport by the customer from the store. The cost to the store of such boxes while not extravagant is nevertheless substantial and the time required for packaging of .the suit or dress is'likewise-substantial owing to the care required for folding the garment within the package. Moreover, the resultant package is relatively bulky and inconvenient for the customer to carry home from the store. Moreover. time is spent in forming the box from the flat sheets of cardboard which is the form in which they arrive at the store.

SUMMARY The invention overcomes the above-mentioned problems of the prior art by providing a tubular package which is readily assembled in package form simultaneously with the insertion therein of the garment to be packaged. Moreover the cost per package to the store of the materials is substantially less than that of the boxes formerly employed and the time required for the combined step of forming the package and inserting the garment therein is less than that formerly required for either step. Moreover, the resultant package is extremely light and easy to handle and furthermore is attractive inappearance, much more so than the rectangular boxes of the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention may bestbeunderstood from the following detailed description thereof, having reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of apparatus for forming the package of the invention and also shows the garment to be packaged and the materials of which the package is composed prior to formation of the package;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along the line 2-2 of FIG 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 and shows the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2 after the package has been partially formed;

FIG. 4 is a detail showing part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a detail showing another part of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of the package just prior to final assembly;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the tubular sleeve of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the assembled package.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, the package of the invention consists of two parts. One part is a cylindrical sleeve having a bandle; this part is shown in FIG. 7 and will be described in detail hereinafter. The second part of the package includes two elongated sheets 1,2 of pliant material such as cardboard. The two sheets 1,2 of cardboard are generally identical and have a generally rectangular shape. During assembly of the package the two sheets 1,2may be arranged with their dimensions vertical, so that the shorter sides may conveniently be designated as an upper extremity and a lower extremity. In a representativc embodiment of the invention, each sheet of cardboard might be 48 inches in length and 21 inches in width. The area of the sheets of cardboard should be adequate to cover the garment to be packaged, which may be any garment, including dresses, suits, blouses, ties, and similar articles of apparel. Preferably the size of the sheets is adequate to cover the largest gannent which may be expected to be packaged so that a I standard supply of packages may be furnished to the store for use with all garments of a similar nature.

In accordance with the invention, sheetlike means adapted to be grasped are provided at the upper and lower extremities of the sheets, 1,2, and each such means likes substantially within-the plane of the sheet to which it belongs. By the term substantially within the plane of theisheet I mean that each sheetlike means lies in the plane of the sheet to which it belongs, or lies in a plane adjacent thereto. At the lower extremity of both sheets, near the center thereof, a diagonal slit 3 is cut in both sheets of cardboard to serve means at such lower extremity. A hooklike member 4,5 is pro- 'vided respectively at the upper extremity of each sheet 1,2 of cardboard to serve as such grasping means at such upper extremity.'A suitable hanger support 6 is also provided between the sheets of cardboard near the upper extremity thereof. The hanger support 6 may conveniently be formed integrally with one of the hooklike members 4,5 in a simple embodiment as shown in the drawings. The hook 4 on the front sheet 1 may comprise a piece of cardboard 8% inches in length which is stapled, cemented, or otherwise attached to the front surface of the front sheet near the top thereof so as to overlap the sheet by 5% inches and project beyond the top of the sheet by 3 inches. The hook is formed in the projecting portion. The width of this appendage may be 2% inches. at the bottom thereof and narrowing conveniently to 1% inches at the edge of the sheet. The foregoing dimensions are, of course, merely by way of example. The hanger support 6 may then be formed integrally with the other hooklike member 5 by forming a cardboard appendagewhose lower portion has the shape of a hanger and whoseupper portion has the shapeof a hook. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, circular end pieces 7,8 may be used as end covers for the final package, and these may conveniently be formed integrallywith the hanger 6 and the hook 5 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. This may be affixed to the front surface of the back sheet of cardboard at the top end thereof, so'that the overlap is again about 5% inches and the projection is about 3 inches. Thus the hooklike projection is identical to that supplied with the front sheet and the overlapping portion has been expanded so as to form a hanger 6 and circular end pieces 7,8 connected by flanges 9,10 respectively. In this event, only the flanges 9,10 are stapled, cemented or otherwise attached to the sheet 2, the area of the flanges 9,10 being adequate to provide the required mechani cal support, while leaving the hanger 6 free to accept a garment, as shown at 11 in FIG. 1. The sheets 1,2 may be relatively thin, such as 0.025 inches in thickness; greater mechanical strength and hence somewhat greater thickness, such as 0.030 or0.035 inches is desirable in the case of the sheetlike means 4, 5, 6,7, 8, 9,10. g

It is possible to assemble the garment 11 in the package simply by hanging the garment 11 on the hanger 6 between the two sheets 1,2 of cardboard and then rolling up the two sheets and insertingthe rolled up package within an outer sleeve 12 (FIG. 6). However, for use in a store where many packages must be assembled during the day, an arrangement such is that shown in FIGS. 1,2 and 3 may be employed. A supporting member 13 is attached to a fixed member having a flat surface, such as a wall 14, and this supporting member is equipped with a retaining member 15 connected to said supporting member 13 by a hinge 16 and having a spring 17 adapted to pull the retaining member 15 towards the supporting member 13. The half of the package comprising the two sheets 1,2 of cardboard is hung on a projection 18 on the supporting member 13, and then a cylindrical core 19 is laid against the front surface of the front sheet 1 of cardboard. This core has a projection 20 on it which fits within the as such grasping diagonal slits 3 previously described, so as to grasp the lower extremity of the cardboard sheets. The tubular core may then be rolled up so as to form a rigid package. The tubular core 19 may preferably have an axial handle 21,22 rotatably mounted at each end thereof, so that said core 19 may be pressed against the wall 14 throughout its rotation. In this way the sheets 1,2 may be rolled into tubular form by simply holding said axial handles 21,22 without rotation thereof and rolling said core 19 along and against the wall 14. The tubular core 19 may also have guide flanges (not shown) at the ends thereof to prevent skewing as the core 19 is rolled up. (Alternatively, a spring-loaded pair of wires (not shown) may be attached to the axis of the tubular core 19 and, when released, tension in the spring will pull the wires up and roll up the cardboard sheets with the garment between them.) As the rolled-up package approaches the top of the device, the retaining member 15 is raised so as to permit the rolled-up sheets to reach the top of their path of travel. The retaining member 15 is then released so as to retain the rolled up assemblage as shown in FIG. 3. The tubular sleeve 12 may be slid over so as to form the completed package, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8.

It is not necessary that the rlled-up sheets 1,2 be in a position below the projection 18 when retained by the retaining member 15. By suitably hinging the projection 18, the sheets 1,2 may be rolled up past the projection 18 for retention by the retaining member 15. Any number of retaining members may be employed, and a single retaining member 15 may be sufficient.

In order to cover the ends of the rolled up device, the circular end pieces 7,8 may be folded about the junction between each end piece 7,8 and its respective flange 9,10, and tabs 23 or similar projections may then be folded over and inserted between the layers of the rolled up sheets 1,2 so as to cover the ends ofthe tubular package.

For mailing purposes, the entire tubular package may be inserted in a corrugated tube (not shown) for additional support but in general, the package as shown has great mechanical strength and is generally adequate for hand carrying.

The tubular sleeve 12 may be formed from a single sheet of paper 24 as shown in FIG. 7. A strip of adhesive tape 25 may serve to join the edges of the paper 24, and the handle may comprise a length of cord 26 one end of which is secured to one edge of the paper 24 by a tape 27 and the other end of which is secured to the other edge of the paper 24 by a tape 28, so that the weight of the package while carried tends to pull the edges of the paper 24 together. The paper may be printed with legends or illustrations 29 for identification of the store selling the garment packaged or for similar purpose, as shown in H6. 8. While the tapes 25, 27 and 28 are shown in FIG. 7, for clarity of exposition, as being affixed to the exterior of the tubular sleeve 12, a more attractive package will generally result if these tapes are affixed, out of sight, to the interior of the tubular sleeve 12.

The sleeve 12 is preferably of standard diameter, such as 7 inches, so as to accommodate the largest garment required. The core 19 is of relatively small diameter for the same reason. The retaining member 15 preserves a relatively tightly wound configuration until insertion of the sheets 1,2 in the sleeve 12, and upon removal of the retaining member 15 the sheets 1,2 are released from this radial constraint and expand against the sleeve 12.

Having thus described the principles of the invention, together with an illustrative embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

lclaim:

l. A package comprising a first sheet of pliant material having at least the stiffness of cardboard and a second sheet of pliant material having at least the stiffness of cardboard adapted to receive a garment entirely therebetween without folding of said garment over any edge of either sheet, each of said sheets having at its upper and lower extremities sheethke means adapted to be grasped, each of said sheetlike means lying substantially in the same plane as that of the sheet associated therewith, and a tubular sleeve having a handle, said sheets being rolled into a tubular form within said sleeve.

* I i i i 

1. A package comprising a first sheet of pliant material having at least the stiffness of cardboard and a second sheet of pliant material having at least the stiffness of cardboard adapted to receive a garment entirely therebetween without folding of said garment over any edge of either sheet, each of said sheets having at its upper and lower extremities sheetlike means adapted to be grasped, each of said sheetlike means lying substantially in the same plane as that of the sheet associated therewith, and a tubular sleeve having a handle, said sheets being rolled into a tubular form within said sleeve. 